John Turturro Shines as Aging Pickpocket in "The Only Living Pickpocket in New York"

Sundance review praises Turturro's performance in Noah Segan's film about a nostalgic New York City criminal

Jan. 28, 2026 at 6:07pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Only Living Pickpocket in New York follows Harry Lehman (John Turturro), an aging pickpocket in New York City who struggles to adapt to the changing times as technology and gentrification transform the city he once knew. When Harry lifts a valuable crypto wallet from the wrong person, he must go on a desperate tour of the five boroughs to save his disabled wife Rosie. Director Noah Segan's film is an elegiac look at the decline of a bygone era of New York crime dramas.

Why it matters

The film explores themes of nostalgia for a grittier, more vibrant New York City, as well as the challenges faced by aging criminals who can't keep up with technological and societal changes. It also serves as a eulogy for the city's past, as seen through the eyes of characters who long for the New York of their youth.

The details

In his 70s, Harry Lehman is a skilled pickpocket who plies his trade on the streets of New York, bringing his modest earnings back to his Bronx apartment to care for his disabled wife Rosie. When Harry lifts a crypto wallet from the wrong person - the spoiled scion of a crime family - he is forced to go on the run across the five boroughs to save Rosie, who has been taken hostage. The film contrasts Harry's analog, old-school methods with the digital, tech-savvy criminal enterprises of the younger generation, embodied by his partner Evie and the villain Dylan.

  • The Only Living Pickpocket in New York premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

The players

John Turturro

An acclaimed American actor who stars as the aging pickpocket Harry Lehman in the film.

Noah Segan

The writer and director of The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, a fourth-generation New Yorker who brings an authentic perspective to the film's depiction of the city.

Rosie Lehman

Harry Lehman's disabled wife, for whom he cares in their Bronx apartment.

Dylan Diamond

The spoiled scion of a powerful crime family, whose crypto wallet is stolen by Harry Lehman, setting off the film's central conflict.

Benny

Harry Lehman's longtime friend and fence, who helps him navigate the changing criminal landscape of New York City.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The thing about New York City is: it's never as good as it was, yet it's still better than anywhere else. The only thing constant is change, and the city is a paragon of that fact.”

— James Bond (thefilmstage.com)

“Segan's fizzy trip around the five boroughs is an elegiac punctuation to the gritty crime dramas of a city that's kept the crime but scrubbed off the grit.”

— James Bond (thefilmstage.com)

The takeaway

The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is a poignant exploration of the changing nature of New York City, as seen through the eyes of an aging criminal who struggles to adapt to the digital age. The film serves as a nostalgic eulogy for the gritty, vibrant New York of the past, while also grappling with the moral complexities of its protagonist's lifestyle.